<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Lapachka: A Tale of Puppy Love by lilithiumwords</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29421717">Lapachka: A Tale of Puppy Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithiumwords/pseuds/lilithiumwords'>lilithiumwords</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dogs, Fluff, M/M, Puppy Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:40:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29421717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithiumwords/pseuds/lilithiumwords</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While on vacation, Yuuri and Viktor find a puppy out in the woods.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Chihohohoko 2021: Victor’s 30th birthday exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lapachka: A Tale of Puppy Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadhahvar/gifts">shadhahvar</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Yuuuuuri!"</p><p>"Mmm..."</p><p>The door opens, and doggy toenails skitter across the floor, followed by the heavy weight of a dog landing on Yuuri's legs. Yuuri mumbles into his pillow as Makkachin sniffs him excitedly, sleepily petting her head and earning lots of 'good morning!' kisses until she decides to leave. She jumps off and rushes away to do whatever Makkachin does, and the bed dips as she walks out of the room.</p><p>A warm hand runs up Yuuri's side, patting his back. "Come on, sleeping beauty," Viktor murmurs, and Yuuri can hear the smile in his voice.</p><p>"Isn't the point of a vacation to sleep in?" Yuuri complains to his pillow, earning a laugh. He sighs and turns over, finding Viktor sitting beside him with a beautiful smile. The morning light makes his eyes all but glow. Yuuri softens, leaning in for a kiss.</p><p>"Good morning, Yuuri," Viktor says against his lips, and Yuuri sighs when he pulls away, wanting more kisses.</p><p>"Morning, Vitya," Yuuri says sleepily, earning himself another beautiful smile. "What's for breakfast?"</p><p>"<i>Syrniki,</i>" Viktor says cheerfully. Yuuri brightens and climbs out of bed, following Viktor from the bedroom. He admires the gleaming wooden floors as they walk together to the kitchen, covered by brightly colored rugs that match the tapestries and paintings on the walls.</p><p>The chalet is beautiful, made of richly colored walnut paneling, with wide windows that overlook a gorgeous valley. The trip to and reservation of the chalet had been a gift from Viktor in celebration of Yuuri winning gold at Worlds, and now that the season is over, they finally have time to relax and rest together. Yuuri had to work hard to convince Viktor not to buy the whole chalet, instead of renting it. Ridiculous, wonderful man.</p><p>The chalet is one of several small estates that dot the hills where spring is fully in bloom, the distant mountains peaked with white but otherwise green with warm weather. Nearby is a quaint little town that has some charming tourist shops and a single grocery store. Yuuri really loves it here. It's just what they needed after their long skating season.</p><p>The <i>syrniki</i> are steaming when Yuuri sits down at the breakfast nook that faces the kitchen. Viktor pours them both coffee and sits down across from him, beaming with that beautiful smile as he picks up his cup to drink. Viktor stirs in all sorts of things like cream and honey and sugar, which should probably go on the <i>syrniki,</i> while Yuuri drinks his black with only a bit of cream.</p><p>He pops a raspberry into his mouth and sighs.</p><p>"Do we have any plans for today?" Yuuri asks, curious if Viktor has set up some activities. Viktor shakes his head, sipping his ultra sweet concoction with a sigh.</p><p>"I think a hike, and then we can pick up some groceries to grill tonight. Wouldn't that be romantic? Eating together at sunset?" Viktor sighs, and Yuuri huffs a laugh.</p><p>"A hike sounds nice. And grilling something would be good."</p><p>"Then let's have a nice evening together, Yuuri!"</p><p>Breakfast is delicious, the warm, fluffy pastries topped with mulberry jam, raspberries, and sour cream. Yuuri spends a little too long watching Viktor enjoy his coffee, happy that they can relax like this and eat whatever they want. His off-season pudge hasn't grown in yet, but Yuuri is prepared to work for it.</p><p>After changing and putting on their boots, Viktor makes Yuuri wait while he packs a lunch of dried meats, cheeses, and crusty bread. Makkachin joins them for the hike, happy to bounce along and sniff everything in sight.</p><p>The day is really very pretty. Fluffy white clouds dot the skies, floating along with the breeze. It rained a couple nights ago, just before they arrived here, so the ground is still a little damp in places, a mix of old brown leaves and soft green grass covering the forest floor. The hiking trail is prominent, though, one of many that wind up the hills. The town is only a few miles away.</p><p>Yuuri can't help tipping his head back to enjoy the warm breeze, admiring the way the sunlight filters through the leaves of the trees above. Makkachin gives an excited bark and runs ahead, not responding when Viktor whistles for her to come back. Yuuri knows she won't go far. She's probably enjoying the pretty woods. Russia is beautiful at this time of year, not nearly as cold as in the winter, and Yuuri thinks he might like to live in a place like this.</p><p>Not that Yuuri really knows where he will live in the future. For now, he and Viktor are living together in Viktor's apartment in St. Petersburg. Lovers, for certain; boyfriends, yes. Fiancés?</p><p>Probably. Yuuri still hasn't clarified that.</p><p>The matter of <i>marriage</i> hasn't come up in conversation. Yet. Yuuri still remembers when Viktor swore to their friends that the rings they gave each other meant engagement, of all things. Though Yuuri tried to avoid the topic, he never disavowed the notion, either. He loves Viktor. He wants to be with Viktor forever. He wants to have a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 dogs with Viktor.</p><p>Well. Yuuri wouldn't mind more dogs. He really loves Makkachin, but he knows she gets lonely during the skating season, when they're traveling and busy at the rink. He thinks she would like a friend or three.</p><p>As it nears midday, Yuuri finds himself thinking about what kind of dogs he might want. Another toy poodle? If it looked too much like Vicchan, he would probably cry... Maybe a poodle mix, like those labradoodles. They would be so fun to cuddle with, too... He knows it has to be a poodle, but he also knows that he loves all dogs and that any dog would be perfect.</p><p>"Makkachin?"</p><p>Yuuri blinks, coming out of his daze. Viktor is standing in the middle of the trail, frowning. Yuuri stops beside him and follows his gaze, seeing Makkachin laying on the ground.</p><p>She's whining, softly, and she has her head pressed to the ground, wriggling forward a few inches every so often, toward a bunch of bushes. Her behavior is so strange that Yuuri immediately wonders what's wrong, his eyes widening. He has only seen her act like this when she has done something wrong and is coming back to Viktor after getting in trouble. She looks utterly defenseless.</p><p>With a start, Yuuri realizes that he can hear something else: a high pitched whine.</p><p>He steps past Viktor, holding up a hand when Viktor starts to call for Makkachin again. He approaches Makkachin slowly and lowers himself to his knees, reaching forward to pull the bushes apart.</p><p>To his utter shock, he finds a puppy.</p><p>The puppy is filthy, covered in mud and bits of twigs. It doesn't have a collar, and its fur is stained brown from the mud, though Yuuri thinks that it might have light-colored fur beneath all that dirt. When it sees him, a human, it gives another whine and starts to wag its tail hard enough to knock its butt side to side, lowering itself as it moves forward a little.</p><p>Makkachin whines softly as well, a comforting sound, and Yuuri understands why now she is acting so strangely.</p><p>"Hey there," Yuuri murmurs, holding out a hand for the puppy to sniff. The puppy barely hesitates, coming up to his hand to sniff, then lick it several times. Not a puppy that has been in the wild long, then -- it likely belongs to someone nearby, but it looks like it's been out here for at least a day or two. Yuuri smiles when the puppy tries to stick its nose inside his jacket sleeve, sniffing him excitedly.</p><p>It takes a bit of coaxing, but eventually Yuuri is able to reach his hand under the puppy's belly and lifts it up, standing. Makkachin immediately rises and cranes her head up to sniff at the puppy, while it presses itself to Yuuri's jacket, seeking the warmth of another. Yuuri turns to look at Viktor, helpless.</p><p>"Makkachin found a puppy," he says, blinking a few times.</p><p>"Oh my," Viktor says, eyes wide. He comes up to Yuuri and lifts a hand to pet the puppy's dirty head, smiling when the puppy turns its head to lick his fingers as well. "What a cute little fellow. Let me see him."</p><p>"How do you know it's a him?" Yuuri says wryly, letting Viktor take the puppy into his arms, uncaring of the dirt that rubs off the puppy's body. Viktor gives him a grin and lifts the puppy up, then turns the puppy over gently to check for any injuries, peeking between its legs as he does so.</p><p>"Because he is," Viktor says decisively, making Yuuri laugh. Instead of handing the puppy back to Yuuri, though, Viktor unzips his jacket and tucks the puppy inside, zipping him up halfway so that the puppy will be warm. Yuuri smiles without thinking at the sight, then sobers at the realization that they have found a lost puppy in the woods.</p><p>A <i>puppy.</i></p><p>"What should we do?" Yuuri asks worriedly. "He's so dirty... he must have been out when it rained two days ago. That's a long time for a puppy to be outside. Is he hurt?"</p><p>"Dogs are resilient," Viktor says, glancing down at Makkachin fondly. Yuuri glances down at their anxious poodle and reaches down to pet her reassuringly, until she calms enough to stand at his side, alert and focused on the bundle pressed to Viktor's chest. "He's a little thing, but there are streams around here. He doesn't look like he's hurt, and he's friendly enough. We should get him to a vet, though."</p><p>They start back the way they came, walking quickly to recover the distance they traveled. Makkachin mostly stays at Yuuri's side, her attention remaining on the puppy, which seems to have fallen asleep inside Viktor's jacket.</p><p>When they reach the chalet, Yuuri hurries inside to pour some water and a bit of Makkachin's kibble into two bowls. He puts the bowl of water, mostly empty, down on the floor first. The puppy has woken by the time Viktor steps inside, wriggling inside the jacket and making Viktor laugh.</p><p>"Okay, okay," Viktor chuckles, carefully unzipping his jacket and pulling the puppy out. They both watch anxiously, Makkachin sniffing at the water but calmly letting the puppy have his fill. The puppy laps up all of the water, but Yuuri only gave him a little so that he wouldn't hurt his stomach. When the puppy seems okay after a few minutes, Yuuri pours some more water into the bowl, watching the puppy drink.</p><p>"Good boy... that's good," Yuuri murmurs, sharing a smile with Viktor.</p><p>"I'll call the vet."</p><p>"Thank you, Vitya." While Viktor goes to find his phone, Yuuri watches the puppy carefully, letting it get used to drinking the nice, cool water bit by bit, until he no longer seems so frantic to drink. As he waits for Viktor to finish the conversation with the vet, he wonders what he could feed the puppy. Makkachin has kibble, and Yuuri has some ready, but he's not sure if the puppy is even old enough to eat solids. He seems big enough, but some puppies are just really big compared to the little ones of toy and miniature dogs.</p><p>Viktor ends the call finally and returns to where Yuuri is sitting on the floor, kneeling down beside him with a sigh. The puppy has lost interest in the water, having drunk its fill without getting sick, and is cautiously sniffing Makkachin, who is laying on the floor watching him, tail thumping. Yuuri is fascinated to see Makkachin so interested in the puppy.</p><p>"They're open, so we can take him down there this afternoon. The vet said we should give him some food softened with broth or milk, since he's pretty young. She'll check for a chip when we get there. I was thinking first, though, we should give our little Lapachka a bath," Viktor says, tapping his phone against his lips.</p><p>Yuuri smiles half-heartedly, relieved. Then he raises an eyebrow, a little bewildered. "Lapachka?"</p><p>"Hm?" Viktor blinks at him, then flushes a little, reaching down to scratch behind the puppy's admittedly dirty ears. "Ah... <i>Lapachka.</i> It's like calling someone sweetie pie. Because he's so cute!" He picks up the puppy and rubs its belly, now full with water, gently, while looking at Yuuri with his face beside the puppy's. "Lapachka, cute Lapachka!"</p><p>Yuuri has to turn away before he bursts out laughing. Viktor putting on puppy eyes while beside an actual puppy is hilarious. "Okay. I'll go run a bath, if you'll pour some milk over Makkachin's kibble so it can soften while we bathe him."</p><p>"Of course, Yuuri," Viktor beams, setting Lapachka down and rising to his feet. "Makkachin, you keep an eye on Lapachka, okay?"</p><p>Makkachin wags her tail happily in agreement. Yuuri shakes his head, pats Lapachka on the rump, and stands up to head to the bathroom.</p><p>After a moment, he notices doggy toenails skittering behind him, and he looks back to see both the puppy and their full grown poodle following behind him. Yuuri blinks, then reaches down to scoop up Lapachka, unable to resist holding him. He really is cute, even covered in dirt. With so much mud caked into his fur, Yuuri can't tell what kind of dog he is, but no matter what, he is adorable.</p><p>"Let's get you clean, yeah, Lapachka?"</p><p>Yuuri walks into the large bathroom and goes over to the tub, setting Lapachka down at his side and turning on the warm water to run. He lets it run for only a few minutes, filling up the bath no more than a few inches, not wanting Lapachka to panic. Makkachin puts her paws up on the bath, excited as she loves bath time, but Yuuri shoos her away, picking Lapachka up again and gathering a few towels. One, he puts at the bottom of the bath, so that Lapachka doesn't slip, and the others he sets on the counter, ready to wrap up a clean pup.</p><p>Grimacing, Yuuri pulls off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves. Time to wash a puppy.</p><p>Twenty minutes later, Yuuri has succeeded where no person has before. In his arms is a clean, fluffy puppy with soft golden curls, a little black nose, and of all things, a face just like Vicchan's and Makkachin's. Yuuri stares at Lapachka in awe, half wrapped in a towel, wondering what sort of luck would bring such a puppy to him and Viktor.</p><p>He leaves the mess to deal with later and staggers out of the bathroom, making his way back to the kitchen.</p><p>"Vitya..."</p><p>"Yes, Yuuri?" Viktor turns from where he is arranging sandwiches on the counter, blinking at Yuuri. His lips curl in amusement, likely delighted by Yuuri's frazzled and damp appearance, but Yuuri doesn't give him any time to laugh, holding up Lapachka and showing Viktor just what they have found.</p><p>Lapachka is a <i>poodle.</i> A beautiful cream poodle with big brown eyes and soft curls and the cutest face ever.</p><p>"Oh my god," Viktor says, eyes wide. "He's a poodle! Our Lapachka is a poodle!" He drops everything and runs around the counter, sweeping Lapachka from Yuuri's hands and cuddling him close, the towel falling to the floor. "Look at you! Look at you, Lapachka! Pretty, cute Lapachka!"</p><p>With that, Viktor walks away, crooning to the wide-eyed poodle puppy with such love and encouragement that Yuuri has to cover his face before he cries. A poodle. It's almost fate that a poodle puppy would fall into their laps like this. After he was just thinking about wanting another dog...</p><p>But no. Someone lost this poodle, and it's Yuuri's and Viktor's job to get Lapachka home.</p><p>With a small smile, Yuuri shakes his head and goes to clean up the bathroom, letting Viktor handle feeding Lapachka. He could really use a shower after washing all that dirt off Lapachka.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~</p>
</div>"He doesn't have a chip," the vet tells them, a no-nonsense woman who nevertheless handles Lapachka with the utmost care. "Not many people out here use them. We would take him, but our boarding is actually full for the weekend, and the town doesn't have an animal shelter."<p>"We can take him," Yuuri says without thinking, when Viktor translates. He blinks in surprise at himself, but he doesn't change his mind. "We've both raised dogs, so we know how to take care of him. We can give you our number in case someone calls."</p><p>The vet eyes him with a frown, but she surrenders Lapachka, who is squirming and whining, to Yuuri's arms when he reaches out. "Very well. Other than the dehydration, which you are handling well, he is perfectly healthy. No infections or parasites. You're lucky that he's weaned already. Keep an eye on him over the weekend and call me if anything happens, though."</p><p>Viktor takes her card and thanks her, smiling beatifically as he and Yuuri walk back to the front desk to pay. They step into the late afternoon sunlight and look at each other, Lapachka curled up in Yuuri's arms, looking very tired now after his long day. Makkachin stayed at the chalet, despite wanting very much to come.</p><p>They have a puppy. Temporarily, at least.</p><p>"...Now what?" Yuuri ventures.</p><p>"Now," Viktor says with a wicked smile, "we go <i>shopping</i>!"</p><p>Well. Yuuri has very little to say to that.</p><p>"Alright, but I'm staying in the car with Lapachka," Yuuri says quickly, not backing down when Viktor immediately pouts. "He's <i>tired</i>, Vitya. He and I are going to nap while you pick up puppy food and whatever else you think we need."</p><p>"We need quite a lot," Viktor says in such a serious tone that Yuuri has to cover his eyes.</p><p>"Ugh... okay, fine. Do what you want," Yuuri sighs, taking the keys and turning on his heel to go back to the car. He hears Viktor laughing at him behind his back, but he ignores it.</p><p>Yuuri unlocks the car when he reaches it and crawls into the passenger seat, making sure to roll down the windows halfway before locking the car and reclining the seat back. He puts Lapachka down on his chest and sighs as the puppy only yawns and wriggles closer to him. Clean and full and healthy, Lapacha is the cutest thing in the world, all big brown eyes and golden curls. Yuuri gently scratches behind Lapachka's ears, enjoying the little puppy snores and closing his eyes.</p><p>Just a little nap won't hurt...</p><p>Yuuri hears a soft tapping ages later, and he opens his eyes to find Viktor standing outside the car, waiting patiently. Yuuri puts a hand underneath Lapachka and fumbles for the lock, clicking the car open and closing his eyes again, drained. Lapachka is a warm lump on his chest, still letting out soft puppy snores, completely unbothered as Viktor opens the car door and starts piling bags in the back seat.</p><p>"What did you get?" Yuuri ventures, reluctantly pulling the seat upright and shifting Lapachka to lay across his lap. Lapachka barely stirs as he is moved, and Yuuri smiles down at him, already half in love.</p><p>"Puppy kibble, a leash, a collar, a bed for him, a bed for Makkachin..." Viktor pauses as he shuts the backdoor and moves up front, sliding into the driver's seat and looking over at Yuuri with a smile. "Also, treats for both of them, and a few more groceries, and a few toys, and --"</p><p>"Vitya, Makkachin already has a bed," Yuuri grumbles, but he knows what Viktor will say. Sure enough...</p><p>"But she doesn't have one <i>here</i>," Viktor says, his expression open and innocent. Yuuri rolls his eyes. "And it matches Lapachka's!"</p><p>"Of course it does."</p><p>"Hm, if you're this cranky, maybe I won't tell you what else I got," Viktor sniffs, putting the car into gear and setting off down the road. Yuuri shakes his head with a small smile, closing his eyes as the breeze blows through his hair.</p><p>"I'll find out."</p><p>"Not if I don't tell you."</p><p>"Mmhm, sure, Vitya..."</p><p>They bicker all the way back to the chatel, Lapachka waking up as they pull into the driveway and hear Makkachin barking. As Yuuri suspected, Makkachin is overjoyed by her new bed, but also by the fact that her new friend is staying with them. Yuuri takes them both out to pee in the yard out back, making sure to keep an eye on Lapachka so he doesn't wander off and get lost again, then lets them both run around for a while, reclining on one of the patio chairs while he listens to Viktor inside, putting away the groceries.</p><p>He could get used to having another dog in the house.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~</p>
</div>Two days of bliss pass. Every moment with Lapachka is perfect. He and Makkachin love each other, content to play or nap with each other at a moment's notice. Lapachka never shows any signs of illness, bouncing around happily and making messes as any puppy should, while Makkachin follows him around dutifully, nudging him away from a few of the messes before they can be made. Yuuri takes as many pictures of them together as he can.<p>Life is bliss. He has Viktor, he has Makkachin, and he has Lapachka.</p><p>The call comes on Monday, though, destroying Yuuri's dreams of having 2.5 dogs and a white picket fence.</p><p>"His owner called," the vet says on speaker phone, while Viktor translates to Yuuri quietly. "She's a poodle breeder by the name of Svetlana Levitskaya. I should have realized it was her pup as soon as you brought him in, but that day was really busy with surgeries left and right... oh well. Here's her contact information."</p><p>"We have to give him back," Yuuri says quietly, staring down at the dark screen of the phone after they hang up. Viktor looks just as glum, leaning against Yuuri's side with a sigh.</p><p>"Yeah... poor Lapachka. We knew this would happen, though."</p><p>"Yeah..."</p><p>They are both morose as they pack up Lapachka's new bed, kibble, and toys, loading both dogs into the car, then set off for the address of the breeder. The location turns out to be a big farm a few miles away, and Viktor takes his time driving up the long driveway to the house and barn. They can see horses in the pastures and chickens roaming around, along with a dozen poodles of various sizes and colors in a large fenced area behind the house.</p><p>Yuuri has never felt so torn about getting out of the car. On one hand... poodles! Poodles everywhere!</p><p>On the other hand, he has to give up Lapachka.</p><p>Makkachin bounces out of the car, and Viktor has to leash her quickly before she goes running to investigate all the new poodles. The other dogs and puppies bark in interest, crowding against the fence where they are all locked away. At once, Lapachka begins to whine and squirm in Yuuri's arms.</p><p>"<i>He's here!</i>" A small boy throws open the door, running straight for Viktor and Yuuri. Lapachka immediately jumps out of Yuuri's arms and goes straight to the little boy, who picks him up and endures lots of happy licks while he starts to cry.</p><p>A woman follows the boy more sedately, putting a smile on her face for Viktor and Yuuri.</p><p>"Allo," she says, holding out a hand. "I am Svetlana. I see you found our puppy."</p><p>"Yes," Viktor says, while Yuuri is pleasantly surprised by her accented English. "We were hiking in the woods near our chalet, and our dog found him. Say hi, Makkachin!"</p><p>Makkachin barks politely, wagging her tail as the little boy looks over at them. Svetlana smiles, giving a great sigh.</p><p>"You cannot know how relieved I am. We thought... well, I was afraid we would never see him again. You see, my son," she says, narrowing her gaze at the little boy who suddenly looks very sheepish, "decided that he did not want this puppy to get adopted. His buyer was coming around the other day to meet the puppy, and my son decided to let the puppy out of the dog enclosure, so that it wouldn't be noticed. Of course... it ran off, and we could not find it."</p><p>"Ah, I see." Viktor nods, while Yuuri thinks of little boys and their love of dogs, a smile quirking his lips. He rather doubts that little boy will consider letting a puppy out of the gate ever again.</p><p>"Thank you," Svetlana says with a wide smile. Yuuri just feels miserable, watching Lapachka sitting happily in the little boy's arms.</p><p>"Oh," Viktor says, remembering their bounty, and he lets go of Yuuri's hand and hands off the leash so that he can pull out what they bought. "Here, we... well, we loved looking after him, and so we got a few things..."</p><p>"Oh," Svetlana says in surprise, staring at the large blue dog bed, big enough for an adult standard poodle. "We have enough beds, no worries. You can keep that one for your Makkachin." </p><p>Yuuri doesn't bother telling her that Makkachin has one just like it. He only nods, gripping the leash a little tighter, while Viktor reluctantly puts the bags back in the car.</p><p>"Can... can we say goodbye?" Yuuri asks suddenly. Svetlana looks at him in surprise, before her gaze softens, and she nods.</p><p>"Pasha," she orders, and the little boy puts Lapachka down on the ground. Yuuri kneels down, and immediately, Lapachka trundles over to him on stocky puppy legs, yipping as Yuuri reaches down to rub his ears, and then his belly when Lapachka flops over and rolls around in the grass.</p><p>Viktor kneels down next to him, taking his own time in rubbing Lapachka's soft belly. "You silly thing," he murmurs, looking just as sad as Yuuri. Makkachin immediately joins them, though she looks much happier, licking Lapachka's head while he whines and wriggles on the ground.</p><p>Viktor and Yuuri exchange a look, then stand, gently pulling Makkachin away. "Thank you," Viktor says to Svetlana, who is watching them with a curious gaze. Yuuri cannot bring himself to say anything, glancing at Lapachka one more time before he turns away, following Viktor back to the car.</p><p>The drive back to the chalet never felt so long.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~</p>
</div>Yuuri and Viktor go home a few days later. Makkachin was a little forlorn when she realized that her friend was gone, but Yuuri and Viktor both took time to play with her and remind her that she had two humans who loved her, and she perked back up quickly. Yuuri thinks of suggesting that they donate the puppy things, but in the end, he just lets Viktor put it in the back of the car, before they drive back to St. Petersburg.<p>At least now Yuuri knows that he wants a puppy. Another poodle, or any sort of dog, really. Makkachin would love a friend, especially one that will play with her when she's playful and nap with her when she's tired. Yuuri thinks she would have been a great older sister. Will be a great older sister.</p><p>He misses Lapachka. That sweet, soft puppy reminded Yuuri so much of Vicchan, of Makkachin, of those years when he followed Viktor when he was young. Yuuri knows he fell in love with a puppy -- how could he not? Viktor did too. Yuuri knows.</p><p>They get home. They lounge around. They eat ice cream and more <i>syrniki</i> and the horrible concoction known as tea with jam mixed into it. Yuuri starts putting serious effort into his off-season pudge, not caring to do anything else.</p><p>Until one day, they get a call.</p><p>Viktor is out walking Makkachin, so Yuuri drags himself to answer the phone for him. His Russian is decent but not great -- enough to handle a phone conversation, at least.</p><p>"Allo?"</p><p>"Allo, Mr. Nikiforov? This is Svetlana, of Lapa Poodles."</p><p>Yuuri sits up so fast that the remote sitting on his chest goes flying across the room. "Yes. I mean. This is Yuuri Katsuki. I'm. With Viktor! Yes? Hi, can I help you?"</p><p>He thinks Svetlana might be laughing. Or she might be confused. She pauses, and then says, very deliberately, "I recently had a buyer drop their bid on a puppy I have, a male cream poodle, now seven weeks old. I was wondering if you and Mr. Nikiforov would be interested in adop--"</p><p>"Yes." The response surprises Yuuri himself, but he already knows in his heart what he wants. What Viktor and Makkachin want, too. Lapachka wriggled his way into their hearts, and Yuuri has no intention of letting him go again, not if they can really have him. "Really? Why wouldn't they want him? He's so sweet!"</p><p>Svetlana laughs, now. "He is very sweet, but the buyer was not happy about him getting out and did not want to risk any illness. But I know he is perfectly healthy, thanks to you and your husband, and I think he came back to us healthier and happier than he ever was before. I think he misses you both already."</p><p>"I... yes," Yuuri says, deciding to skip over the 'husbands' part and focus on what's important: their puppy. "What do we need to do?"</p><p>Fifteen minutes later, Viktor walks through the door, Makkachin rushing past him to greet Yuuri as if she hasn't seen him in a week. Yuuri pets her contently, smiling as Viktor comes to join him on the couch. He has a few packets of paper laid out neatly on the coffee table in front of him, which Svetlana emailed him and he printed just moments ago. Patiently, Yuuri waits for Viktor to pick up the papers and start reading.</p><p>Viktor doesn't seem to realize he is reading adoption papers, at first. Then his eyes go wide, and he drops the papers to stare at Yuuri, whose smile brightens. He nods once.</p><p>Viktor rushes forward to kiss him, throwing his arms around Yuuri excitedly.</p><p>"We're getting a puppy!"</p><p>They're getting Lapachka. They fell in love with a puppy, and it turns out he loves them back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is for rakel, who wanted fluffy soft things, and what's softer and fluffier than a puppy? For Chihohohoko 2021: Victor's 30th Birthday Exchange!</p><p>Let me know what you think! (*´♡`*)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>